New materials, especially those with “tunable” mechanical properties are in high demand for any number of applications. This is particularly so for materials that are reactive to their environment and that are flexible and pliable. For example, the robotics industry is always searching for actuators that can be fabricated into unique shapes and that can bend and move with the movement of machines. In another example, the biomedical engineering industry is always searching for artificial tissue, seeking to build synthetic muscles and nerves that mimic those of the human body. Numerous industries seek better adhesives that possess the seemingly contradictory behavior of being both very adhesive yet simple to remove from surfaces. Energy storage systems, including batteries and supercapacitors, are in need of better ion-transporting materials that are affordable, ionically conducting, and non-flammable. Additionally, active membranes, sensors, and responsive coatings all can benefit from new material types and materials with enhanced tenability of structure, composition, and properties.
There is a need for materials and methods for synthesizing such new materials that offer tunable mechanical properties.